As the race to make The 2018 Ryder Cup reaches its climax, the European Tour heads to the Nordea Masters. This week’s event is one of three remaining tournaments which offer qualifying points and the chance to impress European Captain Thomas Bjørn.
Thorbjørn Olesen is among those in contention to make the team and will tee it up at Hills Golf Club in Gothenburg on Thursday. Joining the Dane in the field is last year’s Nordea Masters champion Renato Paratore and former Ryder Cup players Martin Kaymer and Robert Karlsson.
Will there be a Swedish champion at this event for the fifth time since 2008? Or could Olesen strengthen his case for a spot in the Ryder Cup team in a month’s time? Our stats guru has crunched the numbers and picked three players worth backing this week in Sweden.
Favourite: Thorbjørn Olesen
Time will tell whether Thorbjørn Olesen qualifies for his first Ryder Cup, but a strong performance this week could go a long way to determining his fate. Since winning the Italian Open in June, Olesen has recorded four top 12 finishes to catapult himself into the top ten on the Race to Dubai Rankings. Of the players in the field, nobody has more than Olesen’s five top tens this season. He closed his week at the recent WGC-Bridgestone Invitational with a 64, taking his stroke average for the last eight rounds to a solid 68.6.
Although the course is different, Olesen has good memories from his last competitive visit to Sweden, recording a tie for fourth at this event last year. With plenty on the line and form on his side, this could be one of the most significant weeks of Olesen’s career.
Form horse: Søren Kjeldsen
He might be one of the most senior men in the field, but 43 year old Søren Kjeldsen is always a threat. The four-time European Tour winner has made the last seven cuts in a row, starting from the Italian Open two months ago. In that time, he has a top seven finish at the BMW International Open and has a stroke average of 69.6 in his last eight rounds. After an inconsistent start to the year, the Dane is starting to put together some solid golf and could be a real threat in Gothenburg.
He putted well at the Porsche European Open last month, finishing the week fifth in average putts per round (26.5) and third in Putts per Greens in Regulations (1.64). Kjeldsen also has recent history of performing well in Sweden, with two top 14s in his last three appearances, including a runner-up spot in 2015. With a Race to Dubai Ranking of 101st, the man from Aalborg will be keen to keep the good form going and make his place on tour next season a little more secure.
Wildcard: Joakim Lagergren
Joakim Lagergren may well have been quietly pleased with his performances at this summer’s Rolex Series events. Despite missing the cut at the HNA Open de France, the Swede followed it up with a tie for 12th at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and a share of 23rd at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open. Having not hit a club in anger since that solid showing in Scotland, Lagergren should be refreshed returning to his native homeland. The 26 year old fired a fine 64 in the third round at Gullane, helping him to an impressive stroke average of 68.9 for his last eight rounds.
He achieved his first win on tour in a play-off at the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open in May, which will give him the confidence to believe he can be the fifth Swedish winner of this event in the last ten years. Lagergren is yet to hit top gear in his home championship, but with some fine results under his belt, this could be his year.
